Courting, Criticism, Censorship and Bombs

On the eve of the conflict in Iraq, the US administration tried to re-establish more friendly relations with the Arab media. This article reviews American public diplomacy and communications strategies towards the Arab satellite networks, with particular emphasis on the Qatar-based al-Jazeera Channel, and considers the degree to which American strategies succeeded. The American experiences with al-Jazeera during the war in Iraq were similar to their experiences during the war in Afghanistan. The main finding is that the US administration lacks a comprehensive communications strategy towards al-Jazeera: In both conflicts the US administration started by courting the channel, giving exclusive interviews and participating in debates, but when war started friendly relations came to an end. When al-Jazeera focused on the ugly face of both wars, the American administration reacted with criticism, threats and attempts to silence the channel.